SCCyberworld

Friday, May 16, 2014

Fornebu (Oslo), 16 May, 2014. Telenor Group today announces a change to its organizational structure through the appointment of Henrik Clausen (50), Katja Christina Nordgaard (52) and Pål Wien Espen (49) as Executive Vice Presidents and new members of Group Executive Management (GEM) in Telenor Group.

“Telenor Group operates in an increasingly fast-paced and complex environment. We have decided to merge the Strategy and Digital units and establishing a new Corporate Affairs unit in order to increase our ability to meet the demands from our customers and solve business challenges in our markets. It will provide us with the flexibility and strength needed to take a leading role in the digital future,” said Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO of Telenor Group. “I welcome Henrik, Katja and Pål to the top management team and look forward to further strengthening our company.”

Aligning Digital initiatives with Group strategy

A new Group Strategy and Digital unit will be responsible for Telenor Group’s overall strategy, drive Telenor’s digital agenda and support the company’s operations in the digital services space. The new unit will be headed by Henrik Clausen. Clausen starts in his new position on 15 June 2014.

Henrik Clausen comes from the position of CEO of Malaysian mobile operator DiGi. Since taking the helm at DiGi in 2010, the company has continuously delivered solid results and consistently captured market share in Malaysia. The company’s growth has been fueled by increased demand for mobile data, driven by the growing popularity of content services in the mature Malaysian market. DiGi is known as an innovative industry player and frontrunner in providing mobile internet services. The company has been a pioneer in delivering Internet for All, which now is one of Telenor Group’s three strategic pillars across its 13 markets. Under Clausen’s leadership, DiGi has been able to strike a successful balance between focused market execution and an open company culture that encourages participation and passion.

Establishing a new Corporate Affairs Unit

Combining Corporate Communications, Sustainability and Government Relations into one Corporate Affairs unit enables Telenor to maximize the existing capabilities of these essential areas, and to further strengthen our communication and interaction with key stakeholders, including governments and the public. This change reflects how Telenor’s business units are currently organized. The new Corporate Affairs unit will be headed by Katja Christina Nordgaard, who will start in her new role on 4 August 2014.

Nordgaard currently holds the position as Norwegian Ambassador to Thailand and Cambodia. In the years 2010 to 2013, she also served as the Norwegian Ambassador to Myanmar. She joined the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1988, and has during her career held various senior positions within the Foreign Service as well as in the private sector. Katja Nordgaard has a Master in Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH).

Formalizing legal affairs position in Group Executive Management

Pål Wien Espen has already been participating in Group Executive Management meetings as Telenor Group’s General Counsel and Head of Group Legal. By appointing him as Executive Vice President, Telenor Group is emphasizing the importance of Telenor Group’s legal affairs department. The appointment is effective immediately.

Pål Wien Espen joined Telenor in 1995. Before joining Telenor, he was an associate at the Norwegian Law firm BAHR, and an assistant judge in the first instance court in Lillestrøm, Norway.

Overview of the new Group Executive Management

With these appointments, Telenor Group Executive Management will consist of: